Catching Cael
by whimsicality
Summary: She was ready to do anything to find her loved ones. But was she ready to befriend the one prince she despised and seduce the enemy, only to discover that everything she knew was false?
1. Dedication

Catching Cael:

__

A dedication

This story is dedicated to an awesome, awesome, _awesome_ friend of mine,

****

Annie.

She moved this summer and we all miss her so much.

Although I've only known her for two years, she's one of the

nicest, most wonderful people ever! If you ever meet her, you're incredibly lucky!

You rock Annie! This is for you!


	2. Prologue

Disclaimer: Characters and places that you recognize from Ella Enchanted are Gail Carson Levine's. The rest are mine!

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Prologue

She ran down the field, laughing as her dark hair streamed behind her. The sun shone down, making her eyes sparkle brighter than usual, the mirth apparent in the chocolatey depths.

"Caelys! Where do you plan to run to?" A boy raced after her, both exasperation and amusement in his voice.

Caelys' only answer was another laugh, and she halted to turn around and watch as Vance ran towards her down the rows of corn, the stalks golden and calmly waving in the breeze. She turned and began to run again, loving the wind blowing against her cheeks.

"Cael!"

"What? Too fast for you, Vance?" The girl teased. "I bet you can't catch me!"

Vance speeded up. "Oh really? I bet I can!"

Caelys quickened her steps also, turning at the corner of the plot of corn and proceeding to run down the row, curls of hair flying around her face. She reached the end and turned, and ran right into Vance who had run down the neighboring row.

The two leaned against one another for a moment, breathless from the game. Vance's nose touched the tip of Caelys' lightly freckled one.

"I caught you." He smiled, his hand reaching down to clasp hers tightly.

Caelys smiled back. "Only by a touch of luck." She wrinkled her nose. "Scratch that. A large _collision_ of luck."

"Luck! Ha!" Vance puffed out his chest. "Only the weak and helpless need luck."

"I guess that means you need a lot—"

Caelys broke off as Vance kissed her suddenly on the lips, her soft ones cushioning against his and causing Caelys' stomach to take a deep dive to the bottom of her toes.

Vance smiled against her lips. "So was that luck?"

Caelys nodded. "That was _so_ luck."

They leaned against one another, Vance's hands each grasping one of Caelys'.

"So tell me, Cael, why do you always run like that?"

Caelys looked up at Vance. "You already know."

"Tell me again."

"The feeling. It's like you're flying, soaring… Maybe if I run fast enough one day, the wind will carry me up—"

"But then I'd have to go up and catch you—"

"I'd take you with me." Caelys looked at his boyish smile, before letting her gaze go to his hair.

Vance's hair was in disarray. The wind had blown his already messy blonde curls into something indescribable and utterly unique.

Caelys pointed at it and watched laughing as he attempted to sort them out, a hopeless task for even a whole band of barbers.

"It looks like Kitser's furball." Caelys' cat was notorious in the small village of Rochelle for the numerous furballs it bestowed people with daily.

"Thank you." Vance gave an exaggerated scowl. "I _have _always thought, however, that fur hats were quite fashionable."

Caelys rolled her eyes. "Not on _your_ head."

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked that! (especially you annie:) ) Caelys is pronounced "Kyle-lis" and Cael is pronounced "Ky-el".


	3. Invasion

Disclaimer: Characters and places that you recognize from Ella Enchanted are Gail Carson Levine's. The rest are mine!

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Chapter 1: Invasion

"The sky's looking somewhat dreary."

Prince Arion turned around on his horse to look at his fellow knight and friend, Sir Garec, who had stopped in the middle of the path to gaze up at the sky. The prince followed his stare and looked up too.

The sky had gotten much darker in the past hour since they'd crossed the border shared by Kyrria and Lascar. _It's as though the sky knows how bad of a state this kingdom is in too_, Arion thought grimly to himself as he and his other two companions, Sir Garec and Sir James resumed their canter down the path of the forest.

"Why don't we go another mile and build camp for the day? No use getting drowned in rain," suggested Sir James.

Arion and Garec agreed. The prince of Kyrria had been sent by his father, King Charmont to patrol the border between Kyrria and Lascar. _Now you'll get the adventure you've complained about having_, the king had said.

Arion scowled, thinking back. What kind of adventure could he have on the border right next to Kyrria? It wasn't as though fighting was going to take place here. The most that Arion would get to see, if he was lucky, was a wild rabbit munching grass. He thought enviously of his two older brothers, who were currently deep in Lascar, battling the invading army from Pruse. _They_ got to see real fighting. _They_ had the chance to become heroes.

As Arion pushed back brown hair that fell into his green eyes, he thought again of how it stank being the middle child of the family.

* * *

"Five more stalks," Caelys told her little sister, watching as Vivy carried the large wooden jug to a plant nearby.

"Five!" Vivy groaned, dropping to the ground. "I thought you said we were done!"

"Almost," Caelys corrected. "But after this one, you can go and play. I'll do the rest."

With no apparent argument to that, Vivy tipped the pitcher forward and watched as the light teal liquid flowed out and onto the dirt, spreading across the surface before slowly being absorbed into the ground.

It was a secret family recipe for the plants, her mother liked to say. Caelys and Vivy were given the chore everyday to give the plants the "secret" nutrients that made the Callista family grow the best crops every year. The girls had been skeptical when they'd gotten the chore at first, and one year, they'd only watered half the plants with the liquid. It had resulted in an unhappy set of parents when harvest time came.

"Alright, you can go now. I'll finish the rest." Caelys smiled as Vivy gave her a hug and skipped down the field towards the house. "Don't have too much fun! I just might need your help again."

The sky rumbled quietly, and Caelys looked up at the gray clouds that hinted at an approaching storm. But no matter, the rain would be welcomed after the several dry days Rochelle had had.

Alone, Caelys slowly worked at the task at hand at her own pace, her mind occupied by thoughts of the Mid-Equinox Festival that was taking place next week in the village. Rochelle was a small, tightly knit farming village on the outskirts of the kingdom of Lascar, which shared a boundary with Kyrria. The village was somewhat unknown—Rochelle kept to itself, and no intruders ever bothered them. It was quite a big affair when any visitors _did_ come, even the occasional bard.

Caelys smiled as her thoughts drifted to Vance. _Vance_. The messy blonde-haired, green-eyed, life-long friend who'd suddenly become much more in the past year. Funny, intelligent, and boyishly cute, he understood her better than anyone else she knew. Underneath the playful demeanor the two had with one another, there was love, and the whole village knew it. Rochelle was certain Vance and Caelys would be married someday.

__

Someday. More like in a long, long time. Even though Caelys was sixteen, she didn't feel ready anytime soon to grow up. She still acted like a child, and was certain she would _always_ be a child.

Caelys' thoughts were interrupted by a scream. Or was it? She frowned when she paused in her work and heard only silence. She held still for a moment longer, before resuming her work of stirring a cup of the family recipe into the pitcher of water.

Caelys suddenly heard voices again. This time, she was sure of it. There was a scream, followed by loud voices and yelling. Curious and worried as to what was going on, Caelys got up from her position on the ground and walked to the edge of the field, before running down the center aisle towards the house.

"Vivy? Lane? Mother?" Caelys called, opening the back door and stepping into the house. It was too quiet—her brothers always made enough noise to last a whole lifetime. The screams and yelling had faded as quickly as they had come, and it seemed as though the whole village was still.

"Father?" Caelys' voice was oddly loud in the silence. She pushed open the door that separated the back of the house from the front room and gasped, horrified at what she saw.

An upturned chair lay next to her Father's desk, stray parchment littering the floor. A jar of ink had been knocked over on the desk, and the black liquid slowly dripped onto the ground. Caelys' brothers' toys lay scattered in the middle of the room, and a lone toy cart, one wheel still revolving slowly lay wedged between the doorstep and the front door that was slightly open. She bit her lip when she saw her beloved mandolin broken on the floor.

Her heart threatening to jump out of her chest, Caelys was about to step into the room when she suddenly heard faint voices outside that were quickly getting louder.

Hurriedly, Caelys stepped out of the front room of the house and into the back, opening the door of the pantry and quickly hiding behind one of the large barrels in the corner. Something was telling her that she couldn't let herself be found.

"You said you heard something around here?" Caelys heard the owner of a gruff voice step into the house.

A high, wheezy voice answered. "I think so. But it might just have been the sounds of the dying boy outside." The voice snickered before erupting in a fit of coughs.

__

Dying boy. Caelys could feel her hands go clammy as she clutched desperately to her skirt. Who were these people? She squeezed her eyes shut as she heard the pantry door swing open and breathed a silent sigh of relief as it quickly closed again.

The voices faded into the distance, but Caelys waited for safety. Her mind raced as she waited for what seemed like eternity. What had happened to her family? The village?

Finally, with legs trembling, Caelys let herself cautiously out of the pantry. Frightened, and with a hand clutching her chest where her heart beat frantically, she walked outside, an ominous feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She somehow already knew who the dying boy was.

* * *

A/N: SOB! Tell me what you guys think! And I'd like to thank Annie, because she came up with the awesome name, Arion. It was going to be Orion, but we decided Arion looked better (but it's pronounced the same). :)


	4. Catching Vance

Disclaimer: Characters and places that you recognize from Ella Enchanted are Gail Carson Levine's. The rest are mine!

Chapter 2: Catching Vance

Caelys tentatively pushed open the front door of the house, mouth dry and heart at her throat. The squeak of the hinges was uncannily loud in the all too silent Rochelle, and her heart seemed to rise further as she forced herself to step out of the house.

Caelys' eyes widened in shock. It was as though everyone in the village had just…disappeared. _Impossible_. But as she surveyed the eerily silent village, doors open at random houses, an abandoned wagon in the middle of the road, she realized how possible it seemed all of a sudden.

Where was her family? The rest of the village people? The dying boy…?

Her eyes swept the lonely scene in front of her and stopped on a dark object far away on the dusty road. Caelys' hand flew to her mouth, and the color drained from her face.

And then she ran. The static wind of the coming storm blew through her hair as she rushed towards the speck on the road, her dark curls whipping around her face, eyes watering. But she didn't care; she didn't even notice. Her legs carried her automatically towards the unmoving object on the road, faster than she'd ever run before.

Faster than she'd ran when Vance was trying to catch her.

Faster, because, this time she was trying to catch him.

Rain suddenly began to fall quickly from the dark sky; large drops of clear liquid that mixed with the dust on the road, creating a mixture of slippery mud and brown water.

Caelys slipped and fell onto the ground, the mud splattering across her chest and face. She hurriedly wiped the wet earth from her eyes and got up again, not caring about the mess smeared on the front of her dress. All she cared about was Vance.

Catching him…before he was gone.

"Vance!"

She finally reached the boy and fell to her knees on the ground, her eyes scanning the still figure. Vance lay curled on his side, his back to Caelys. He was already soaked from the rain, and with trembling hands, Caelys rolled him over and gasped, horrified.

The front of his chest was smeared with mud, but the dark red tint of the brown muck was apparent. The ground that had been under Vance was a pool of dark crimson-brown, and Caelys turned her head away for a moment, her stomach churning.

"Caelys." The weak voice was barely audible in the loud pounding of the rain and thunder, but Caelys heard it, and a flutter of hope rose in her chest.

"Vance!" She turned to look at him through eyes blurred with tears, and her shaking hands touched his face gently. "You'll be alright…you're going to be okay."

His eyes were a sickly pale blue but met Caelys' in a firm gaze. He looked so much older, the laughter and happiness gone from him. "Tell my parents I love them." The statement seemed too final for the girl kneeling next to him.

Caelys' breath caught in her throat, and the tears that she'd tried to keep at bay burst through the dam and spilled down her cheeks. "Don't say this now," she begged. "You'll be able to tell them yourself."

Vance gave the slightest shake of his head, and Caelys pushed back wet blonde hair from his cold forehead. He'd begun to shake, his lips turning a pallid blue.

A sudden blaze of anger rose in Caelys' breast. Who'd done this to Vance? Who'd taken away her family and village?

"Who did this to you? What happened to the village?" Caelys gripped Vance's hand, willing warmth from her own hand to flow to his.

"I-I refused t-t-to listen to th-them…the village…" Vance trailed off, his words becoming incoherent.

Caelys' anger rose and her hope depressed as she watched Vance's face turn paler. The sadness she was feeling was overwhelming as she leaned towards his face and proceeded to wipe away the rainwater that had dripped from her wet hair onto his cheek.

"Don't leave me," she pleaded, unconsciously shaking his arm.

Vance's face turned up towards Caelys. "I love you."

Caelys could hear herself choke with tears. "I love you too Vance. Always," she whispered.

Vance's lips turned up into a weak smile, his eyes locking into a gaze with Caelys'. For a minute, Caelys saw a flicker of the familiar, happy Vance again. She watched as his eyes slowly lost focus. The hand she gripped slackened.

The moment seemed to freeze in time, and Caelys' heart skipped a beat and stood still.

No, no… _No_.

"VANCE!" she screamed, shaking him. "VANCE!" Her cry mixed with a sudden boom of thunder.

The limp body didn't respond, and Caelys felt nothing except the ball of emotions inside her—the grief, the disbelief, the burning fury. She didn't feel the cold rain that had soaked her to her bones, the wet cloth clinging to her body—her body that was shaking severely with tears.

"Vance," she whispered, standing up. She clenched her trembling hands to her sides, and looked out at the dark forest in the distance.

She was going to find whoever had killed Vance. She was going to find her family and the rest of the people of Rochelle.

As Caelys broke into a run, she knew what she had to do. She had to get revenge.

* * *

Arion looked up from sharpening his knife next to the fire and stared out into the dense forest around him. The prince frowned. All he could hear was the drip-drop of the rain against the leaves of the trees and the occasional rumble of thunder, but just a moment ago…he swore he had heard something else…

"What?"

Arion pulled his gaze away from the trees and focused on James across from him. "Did you hear something a second ago? Something like a voice? A scream?"

James gave him a look. "I think you've been thirsting too much after an adventure, Rion. The only thing I've heard is rain."

Arion turned to Garec, and the knight shrugged helplessly, obviously unable to disagree with James.

Arion bit his lip and sighed a little dejectedly. As much as he hated to admit it, James was probably right. As he bent down silently towards his knife, his ear pricked up. There it was again. A scream.

He jumped up from his spot on the ground, gripping his knife tightly in one hand.

"What? What?" James grabbed Arion's arm as the prince set his foot outside of the campsite. "Rion, what is wrong with you?"

Arion shook his arm out of the knight's grasp. "I heard it again," he muttered.

Without a backward glance, Arion sped out of the camp.

James turned to Garec still sitting on the ground next to the fire. "You stay here," he told Garec. "I'll go bring the prince back from his imaginings."

* * *

A/N: I felt so bad about killing Vance…:( oh well, it had to be done. Review and tell me what you think! 


	5. Caught

Disclaimer: Characters and places that you recognize from Ella Enchanted are Gail Carson Levine's. The rest are mine!

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Chapter 3: Caught

Arion sped quickly through the forest until he reached the muddy path that ran through the woods, rutted from the carts and horses that sometimes passed through. The rain that had seemed like only scattered drops in the trees was pouring down in torrents on the path, and Arion paused next to the edge of the road, suddenly unsure of whether he had imagined the scream or not. His heart was pounding rapidly, his hand clutched tightly to the hilt of his sword.

Maybe he had imagined it all, he thought, his heart sinking. Possibly, his thirst for adventure had overpowered his sane mind. Sighing, he wiped away a cluster of wet curls from his forehead and turned to go, when his eyes suddenly caught a movement of light gray in the bushes across the path.

Before he had even thought through what he was doing, Arion found himself in front of whoever was in the bushes, his sword unsheathed and pointing at the cause of the movement.

He blinked down at whom he had found. _A girl?_ A mixture of anger, defiance, and sadness was immersed in dark brown eyes, eyes set in a pale face framed by wet bronze curls. Water clung to her face and slowly rolled in rivulets down her cheeks.

"Get out of the bushes and keep still," Arion commanded, keeping the point of his sword pointed at the stranger in the foliage. He watched as the girl shot him a look of contempt, her eyes flashing with anger as she slowly stepped out of the bushes. A ripped and dirty dress clung to her body, and she shivered visibly as the rain poured down around them.

Arion frowned at her. Could she be a spy for Pruse, pretending to be a helpless village girl?

"Who are you, girl?" He asked loudly over the rain and was met with another glare. "A spy, perhaps?"

"Don't be stupid, Rion."

Arion turned to find James next to him, the knight's eyes fixed on the girl in front of them.

"The lass is definitely not a spy." James' eyes swept over the girl, taking in her cold, shaking form. "We won't hurt you lass," he said gently, slowly approaching her. "Come with us back to our camp and get out of this rain."

Arion watched as the girl eyed them suspiciously.

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" Arion asked James. "She could be a damn good spy ready to kill us at any moment." The prince turned to glance back at the girl and was shot with another scowl from her.

James sighed and chose to ignore Arion's comment. "We promise to help you," the knight said, taking another step closer to the girl. Before she could take a step back, James had grabbed her firmly by the hand. Without a backward look at Arion, he began walking back in the direction of the camp with the girl.

Standing still for another moment, his sword still clutched tightly in his hand, Arion stared at their retreating figures. Then, with a curse under his breath, he broke into a run after them.

* * *

Caelys turned uncomfortably on her back in the cot, and blinked back tears in the darkness of the tent. She had never felt so alone in her life. Her family, her friends…where were they? Why was she the only one left behind? And who were these people who had found her?

She had been afraid that they were the same men who had come to Rochelle, but after hearing them talk, knew they were not. The three men were obviously Kyrrians, as their accents differed from that of the Lascarians and the Prusians. Caelys guessed that they were knights, keeping a close eye on the border for any enemies from Pruse.

They had been hospitable enough, giving her warm blankets and food once she had arrived in their camp. But the youngest one, who the two other knights addressed as Rion, still watched her suspiciously. They hadn't questioned her about who she was or why she was in the woods, as James had insisted that she rest for the night. Yet, Caelys was afraid that Rion would eventually convince the rest that she was a spy.

She shivered, frightened at the idea of being prosecuted for something she was not.

Caelys suddenly sat up on the cot, this new fear taking hold of her stomach and twisting it into knots. Maybe she should run away. The knights were all asleep; it was the middle of the night. They wouldn't discover that she was missing until morning. And by that time, she would hopefully have reached a nearby town in Lascar to notify them of what had happened to Rochelle.

Yes, that was it. She should run away. With that final thought in mind, Caelys gingerly stepped onto the ground and moved through the doorway of the tent. The night air was cool and fresh, and she breathed it in deeply, before taking another tentative step. Suddenly, she felt something close around her arm, and she turned, gasping as she came face to face with Rion.

"Where do you think you're going?" he hissed at her, his grip tightening on her arm.

Caelys glared at him, irritated with herself for forgetting that he was playing sentry for the hour and angry with him for being so contemptuous.

"I just wanted to get a breath of fresh air," she lied, meeting him in the eye. Rion stared at her for a moment longer, his forehead creased in a frown and eyes filled with suspicion.

"Well do so quickly and get back inside." He let go of her arm and took a step backwards.

Caelys rubbed her arm from where Rion had held her before turning and walking back towards the tent. She could feel his eyes on her back as she slowly stepped through the doorway and disappeared into the darkness inside.

* * *

AN: I haven't updated this story in forever! And I finally did it! Drop a review, please:)


	6. Exotic

Disclaimer: Characters and places that you recognize from Ella Enchanted are Gail Carson Levine's. The rest are mine!

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Chapter 4: Exotic

The sun was shining at its brightest in the morning, as though making up for the past day's absence during the storm. Its rays shot through the branches of the forest canopy, bringing a certain brightness to the dismality of the campsite.

Caelys sat uncomfortably on a log across from the knights and Arion, feeling their inquisitive eyes on her, and also Arion's hostile ones. She knew Arion had told the other two earlier of her attempt to escape during the middle of the night, and now the other two were keeping a closer eye on her than before.

They would ask her who she was any moment…and what was she to say? Did she trust them enough to tell them the truth?

Garec, the knight who had been at the camp when Caelys first arrived, looked kind enough. His graying hair told Caelys he was in his middle years. He was sensible, firm, and intelligent, and from the looks of it, the other two seemed to value his opinions and instructions highly. Garec reminded her so much of her father…

The other knight, James, looked slightly younger, but also possessed a kind demeanor. He had a large, muscled frame, but moved with the agility of a mountain lion.

And then there was the youngest knight, Rion. Caelys' eyes took in his profile, his straight nose, the lean build, and the underlining pride evident in everything he did. There was something strangely aristocratic about him.

Caelys swallowed. She had to take the risk and tell them what had happened; there was no other choice. Before she could change her mind, she took a deep breath and began speaking.

* * *

"The poor girl," the King of Kyrria murmured, as Sir Garec ended his explanation of why James, Arion, and himself had arrived home much earlier than planned and had brought a strange girl along with them.

Garec nodded in agreement. "She says the village seemed to simply vanish into thin air. Quite strange, don't you think?"

"Alarming, to say the least. And the girl somehow managed to not have been found…" Char frowned, his mind wandering to the current war between Lascar and Pruse. Could there be a connection? Would the Prusians have started attacking village by village, all the while keeping the Lascarians busy fighting deeper within the kingdom of Lascar? "We must immediately inform the Lascarian capital of this. James, along with Arion—if he wishes, as I'm sure he will—must go as soon as possible to take this message to them."

"Wait, Char." Ella, who had been thoughtfully silent throughout the entire conversation, suddenly spoke up. "I think the girl should accompany them." She paused, catching Char's questioning look. "There must be a reason why she was never found. And don't you think it odd, that somehow all the villagers of Rochelle vanished so quickly? Even the Prusians would not be so stupid as to kidnap an entire village and slowly lead them through the forests to a final destination?"

Garec and Char were silent, not wanting to accept what Ella was implying.

"I think," Ella said firmly, calmly, "the Prusians have broken The Agreement and begun to use _magick_."

* * *

Ella quickly jotted across the length of the parchment, before preparing her letter to be mailed to her childhood friend, Areida. Areida's birthday was in a week, and Ella hoped the letter with her birthday greetings would reach Areida in time. However, with the ongoing war between Lascar and Pruse, and Kyrria's contribution of aid to Lascar, Ella could only hope the letter wouldn't arrive too late.

There was a knock on the door, and Ella quickly turned from her seat and smiled. "Come in, dear."

The door opened, and Arion stepped in, freshly cleaned after his week's trek on Kyrria's borders. Ella hugged him lovingly and kissed him on his cheek, marveling at her quickly growing nineteen-year-old, but also silently worrying about the air of unhappiness that evidently surrounded him.

"I've missed you, Rion." Ella led her son to the chairs by the windows of her study and sat down next to him. She leaned forward, a twinkle evident in her eyes. "Sliding down banisters just isn't the same without you here."

"I've missed you too, Mother. How are you?" Arion chose to disregard his mother's last comment, even though he knew he had hurt her by doing so. Ella leaned back, the smile on her face faltering.

"Good. Even better now that you're home. How have _you_ been?"

The prince looked out the window of the study, ignoring the question if only for a moment. The view displayed sun-swept green hills that eventually blurred into the Eastern Forests. "I'm alright," he finally managed.

"Just alright?"

There was a pause as Arion tried to word his thoughts. "Why must I stay home when Tristan and Michael are fighting in Lascar?"

"Because you were needed for other important things. Rion, fighting isn't the only important thing there is to do."

Arion scowled and turned towards the windows again, just as another knock sounded on the door.

"Come in." Ella quickly stood up, and Arion followed suit. "Ah, that must be—Caelys. I wish to meet her, and there is something I need to speak to the two of you about." Ignoring her son's curious look, Ella turned towards the entry of the room and was barely able to contain her surprise when her gaze landed on the girl that Garec led in.

The girl was—there was no other way to describe her—exotically beautiful. The Queen of Kyrria had expected a girl with sun-bleached blonde hair and an unsure demeanor. But the young woman standing in front of her seemed to be everything opposite, and Ella couldn't help but think that her name, Caelys, suited her perfectly.

The young woman had dark, almost black hair that fell in unruly waves and curls around her straightened shoulders. The shoulders, the raised chin, and the way she held herself emphasized the pride and courage she emanated. There was also an aura of wildness about her—not a feral wildness, but something more fantastically tempestuous. It could all be seen from her russet eyes, exotic against sun-kissed skin.

"Ella, this is Caelys, from Rochelle."

Ella tore her gaze from the young woman to thank Garec. "Thank you, Garec." She turned to Caelys and smiled. "It is wonderful to meet you, Caelys. I'm Ella, Char's—well, the King's—wife. And as I'm sure you've already met, this is Arion, my son." The Queen caught the surprise that quickly flickered through Caelys' eyes as she glanced at Arion, who stood stiffly by his mother's side.

The young woman smiled cautiously at Ella and curtsied, with obvious inexperience. "It is a pleasure to meet you…Your Majesties."

"You mustn't call me that. Ella is just fine." Ella paused for a moment, preparing herself to tell the two what Char, Garec, and herself had discussed earlier that day…

* * *

Arion couldn't believe it. His father and mother were _finally_ letting him do something worthwhile! Given, he was going with James to deliver a message to the Lascarian capital, but who could stop him, once he arrived, from joining his brothers on the battlefield? Someone had to teach those Prusians a lesson—and if this speculation about using _magick_ was true, well, there'd be a hell of a war to fight.

"Oh, please Ella, may I go to the Lascarian capital also?"

Arion's eyes quickly turned from their focus on the view outside to the owner of the voice. It was Caelys, the girl whom he and the knights had found only two days ago. He hadn't seen her ever since they arrived in Kyrria's capital that morning and had barely recognized her when she'd walked into Ella's study moments earlier. The dirt and rain had been cleaned from her face and body, and she donned a simple, pale blue dress. He hadn't seen the strangely beckoning beauty she possessed until now, with her anxiously perched at the edge of the chair, her hands clutching her skirts as she looked at Ella for a reply.

"I must go, Ella!" Caelys' voice was on the verge of imploration. "I must help find my family, my friends, Van—" She stopped abruptly and paled.

Arion looked towards his mother for her disapproval. Surely, she wouldn't allow Caelys to come also? This journey was no excursion for a farmer's girl, who had probably never seen a city in her life. She would only be a burden for James and himself.

"Actually," Ella began, "I was hoping you'd ask just that. I believe that—"

"Mother, you must be joking!" Arion interrupted Ella in disbelief. "She—" Arion gestured at Caelys, ignoring the angry look she cast him, "—will be a burden to James and I! This_ girl_ will be able to do nothing for us."

Ella stiffened, and Caelys sprang from her seat in fury.

"You know nothing about me! If anything, _you_ will be the burden—with your silly, childish dreams of becoming a hero and gallanting off to save the world, when you probably don't know what real dangers and tragedies exist! This—" Caelys put a hand to her chest, "_girl_ is going to go to Lascar whether _you_, dear Prince, like it or not." With that, she spun on her heel and left the room.

Arion turned to his mother. "You can't possibly—"

"Arion." Ella spoke his name slowly and too calmly. She looked at him with disappointed eyes. "You know better than that. Rochelle meant dearly to Caelys, and she wishes to help solve this. I don't quite know what it is about her, but there's _something_ that convinces me that she's meant to do this. You will help her, Arion."

The Queen stood up from her seat and walked towards the door. She paused and turned to him. "I have faith in you, Rion."

Arion watched silently as Ella turned and walked out of her study and barely heard the click as the door shut behind her, as he became lost in his thoughts. His dreams of triumph was suddenly crumbling into ruin.

All because of _her_.

* * *

A/N: I would like to sincerely, profusely apologize for the long time since I last updated. I've been incredibly loaded with school/afterschool stuff and haven't had a good chance to sit down and type until now. I don't even know if anyone's still reading this story, but if you are, you are too sweet! Thanks you guys, and I'm so sorry. I'm going to aim to update much, much quicker now, now that it's nearing the end of the school year (wheee!).

Well, you know what to do! What did you think of this:)


	7. His Royal Highness and Lady Mya

Disclaimer: Characters and places that you recognize from Ella Enchanted are Gail Carson Levine's. The rest are mine!

Chapter 5: His Royal Highness & Lady Mya

Caelys turned the page of the large book, leaning over closely to read the small print. She had been allowed to spend time in the palace library after Ella had insisted that Caelys get fitted for clothes for her trip—the only clothes Caelys had had was the torn, dirty frock she had been wearing when Arion had found her in the woods.

Ella had shown Caelys where the royal library was afterwards, helping her find the information on The Agreement that she was interested in learning more about. Although she had only known Ella for a short period of time, Caelys had already taken a great liking to the Queen of Kyrria. She possessed a certain charm, with her kind, understanding demeanor and the constant mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

The Queen, therefore, was nothing like her son. Caelys had been startled when Ella had introduced Arion. She had thought he had been a knight ever since they'd first met. The fact that he _was_ a prince, however, explained the aristocratic mannerisms he possessed. Yet, Caelys couldn't understand—how could such a wonderful Queen have such an imbecilic son? The world certainly wasn't fair.

She focused her attention back on the dusty tome in front of her and the excerpt on The Agreement:

"The Agreement, a pact drawn by the kingdoms of Kyrria, Ayortha, Lascar, and Pruse 300 years prior to the New Age of Light Magick, resulted from the Two Bloods who combined their magick for destruction. The pact decried the use of Big Magick and banned the appointment of sorcerers in kingdom courts. The Two Bloods were tried and convicted of…"

Two Bloods? What did that mean? Before Caelys could read further, she heard a giggle and a period of suppressed silence before another fit of happiness erupted. Caelys raised her head and her eyes landed on a mop of tawny curls peeking over the edge of the table. It ducked quickly under, paused, before slowly peering over again, a large familiar green eye meeting Caelys' gaze.

Caelys smiled. "Who's hiding from me?"

There was another fit of giggles, before a body appeared with the head and walked up to Caelys. It was a small girl of an age no greater than seven, pretty in her messy pink dress and flushed cheeks to match.

She smiled gleefully up at Caelys. "I was hiding from you! I'm Ariel. What's your name?"

"Caelys." Caelys marveled at the happy youth, suddenly feeling old and motherly.

"Want to play with me, Caelys?" Ariel began skipping around Caelys in circles, lifting her skirt to reveal bare feet.

Caelys couldn't help but let out a laugh, her first in what seemed like eternity. "I would love to."

"Then catch me!" With an excited squeal, Ariel took off down the aisle between two rows of books, her bare feet pattering against the rugs.

Caelys began to run after the little girl, watching Ariel's curls stream after her. She followed her behind another row of bookcases, painfully aware of how much this was like the game Vance and her used to play. How long ago had it been? No more than several days—but she felt so much older now…

A sob that she didn't know she had been suppressing rose in Caelys throat, and she halted in her steps, hearing Ariel also stop and curiously turn to look at her newfound, and suddenly weeping, playmate. Caelys couldn't suppress the angry tears that suddenly flowed down her cheeks as she slid onto the floor, her body trembling with more sobs that fought to escape.

She barely felt the small chubby hand touch her shoulder. "Caelys."

Caelys looked up through blurry eyes at Ariel's innocent face.

"Don't cry. I didn't meant to run so fast."

Caelys gave a weak smile, hugging the small girl and wishing that that were really the reason she had been crying. "It's alright."

"Ariel!" A male voice at the end of the bookcase called down to where Ariel stood and Caelys sat.

"Uh-oh," Ariel whispered. "I have to go back to my reading. My brother's going to be angry." She placed a kiss on Caelys' tear-stained cheek.

"Thank you for playing with me, Ariel." Caelys watched the little girl skip away in the direction of the voice and raised her eyes to glance at the caller. Her stomach turned when she saw the brother who was waiting for the little girl.

The brilliant flash of green met Caelys' gaze and stayed on her face, grazing the wet cheeks and pink, swollen lips. She paused mid-breath and raised her chin as imperiously as possible, now feeling angry that he had caught her in a vulnerable state. Emerald met russet, and each dared the other to look away.

Arion only broke the gaze when Ariel tugged on his hand.

* * *

"There's a small village farther up that we'll stop at for a night's rest." James told Arion and Caelys, pointing east.

Caelys' eyes followed the direction of his arm, only to see a path that led through more trees. She urged the horse she rode on to increase its speed, looking forward to stopping for rest. She wasn't willing to admit to James and especially to Arion, but she was tired from the day of riding. Yet, she was too proud to let them see her weak.

James, Arion, and herself had been on the road since early morning when they had first left Frell with provisions and the royal family's good wishes. Caelys had not spoken a word to Arion since the day before in Ella's study. James, however, she'd quickly befriended and through their day's worth of conversations, had gleaned much about the history of the kingdoms. James had most likely noticed the tense silence between the prince and Caelys, but had wisely kept his mouth closed on the matter, only hoping the three-day trip would be a quick one.

"We've arrived!" James called behind his shoulder to Caelys and Arion half an hour later. He cantered forward through the trees that opened into the village. Caelys and Arion quickly followed, but stopped abruptly at James' side when they noticed he had stopped at the entrance.

"Oh Gods above…" James breathed out, gazing before him. Caelys followed suit and opened her mouth in horror.

The entire village was deserted.

* * *

"Quickly now! We must hurry!"

Caelys nudged her horse, willing it to go faster. She could barely make out the outline of James in front of her and could hear the steady hoofbeats of Arion following closely from behind.

Her stomach was in a twist of knots from coming upon a deserted village so much like Rochelle. She wanted to vomit, to rest, to sleep and to wake up to find everything a dream—but there was no time and this was far from fantasy…

The group had been horrified when they saw the deserted village. James had offered to quickly ride to Bollington, the capital of Lascar, while Arion accompanied Caelys to a place to sleep and rest. Yet, Caelys had refused, unwilling to stop. So now the three galloped at full speed toward the capital in the dead of night, all feeling a sense of helpless dread.

Sleep beckoned. Caelys was beginning to feel as though she was detached from her body, as she felt herself slowly fade into a dream-like state. Suddenly, her horse seemed to give away from beneath her and she barely heard it whinny before she hit the ground.

The grass cushioned her fall, and she gasped, more in shock at the accident than in pain. She saw a dark figure fly towards her from his horse and offer her a hand. She numbly took it and allowed him to lift her onto his horse, feeling him get on behind her.

James, in front, who had realized the hoofbeats behind him had stopped, rode back in the darkness. "Caelys? Rion? Are you two alright?"

"We're fine." Arion's voice was loud as he called out from behind her.

Caelys felt him pull her closer to him as his arm wrapped firmly around her waist to keep her from risking another fall if she fell asleep again. They were near enough that she could feel the warmth emanating from his firm chest and his steady heartbeat that seemed to be in time with the hoofbeats as his horse resumed its gallop.

Caelys was only dimly aware that Arion's heart must have been beating awfully fast to be in time with the hoofbeats, before she allowed darkness to wash over her.

* * *

Caelys woke just as the sun rose over the treetops, and she blinked, hearing the steady beat beneath her and feeling the security of her place on the horse.

For a moment, she was lost, and it took a second for her to remember what had happened before she had fallen asleep. She had fallen off her horse…and Arion had allowed her to ride with him.

She voiced the first thought that appeared in her head. "What happened to my horse?"

There was a pause, and Caelys imagined the prince of Kyrria looking down at her head with surprise and disdain. "He'll find his way back to Frell," he finally replied.

Feeling refreshed from her sleep, Caelys began to feel the uncomfortableness of her situation. She squirmed in her seat on the horse and put on the hood of her riding cloak, before accepting her fate and settling to silently cursing herself for her stupidity. She continued berating herself for awhile longer until she suddenly noticed that James was starting to slow down in front. Caelys looked further ahead and saw the large slabs of gray stone looming in the distance.

"Is that," Caelys spoke, her curiosity causing her to forget for the moment that she still disliked Arion, "Bollington?"

"Yes." Arion's voice was gruff, and she noticed the traces of fatigue that laced his voice. "You're a native of Lascar. Shouldn't you know?" His added remark was snide and mocking.

Caelys stiffened. "I'm only a naïve farmer's daughter, aren't I? How would I know of anything about the outside world? I depend on men like you, _dear prince_, to save the day."

"Well, you _were_ the one who fell off their damn horse," Arion snapped back, the edge apparent in his voice.

She made a move to stop the horse and jump down, but Arion's grip only tightened around her waist. "You—" She stopped abruptly as their horse neared James' at the top of the hill and shut her mouth reluctantly, resuming to sitting straighter on the horse.

"We've arrived." James nodded down at the tall, gray stone wall that surrounded the fortress city. Guards could be seen at the gated entrance, and Caelys shivered, an ominous feeling at the pit of her stomach.

They began their descent down the hill, leaving the forest and approaching the gates that would open into Bollington. There were at least six guards at the gate, and they immediately surrounded the group as it reached the bottom.

"What's your business here?" A large and rather nasty looking man glared at them through one eye, his other permanently half-lidded.

"We're here to see the king about important business." Arion spoke out imperatively.

"From?"

"Kyrria."

It was then, after Arion had answered, that James, Caelys, and himself noticed the strange blue and silver of the guards' uniforms. There was something amiss… In a flash of realization that was too late, the guards lunged at the threesome, quickly dragging them from atop their horses.

Caelys screamed as the half-lidded brute pulled her arms behind her, trying to kick him as his hands reached to grope inside her riding cloak. "Let me go!" He only sniggered in response.

She continued to struggle against the man as he and several other guards brought their newly captured prisoners within the walls of Bollington and towards the palace, gasping as she saw the high number of blue-and-silver uniformed men around them.

James, Arion, and Caelys were quickly brought into the palace, past curious onlookers and several grand entrances before they were rushed past a final door. The guards who had the stronghold on the three stopped abruptly and Caelys hesitantly raised her head, her eyes peering from under her hooded cloak, unsure if she wanted to know what she might see.

The room they had entered was intimidating, with a looming, marble column at each of the four corners. Marble inlaids arranged geometrically in the center of the room lay directly below the large circular glass dome in the ceiling, allowing the morning's sun to pour in its light. In this room, however, the sunlight seemed daunting and oppressive.

Caelys' eyes landed on the lone figure sitting atop the throne at the far end of the room, a fair young man dressed extravagantly in gold and silver. She could make out his slightly upturned mouth, in the shape of a smirk that adorned his lips as he gazed at the newly entered group.

He stepped lazily from his seat and approached them slowly, stopping several feet away. "Ralph, who are my visitors?" He drawled out the question, as though his words were dripping with the same riches that adorned his body. A slender hand dressed in jewels rose to his chin as he studied the party before him.

The guard who roughly held Caelys replied. "They say they are from Kyrria, Your Highness."

Your Highness?

Caelys peeked at the mysterious man from under her hood, noting his blonde hair, his high cheekbones and handsome face, and the piercing blue eyes that flickered coldly from James to Arion, before landing on her hooded self.

"Kyrria? _Our_ enemy, Kyrria? How…interesting." He paused, and the silence sent a cold shiver down Caelys' spine.

Caelys resisted the urge to squirm as she felt his appraisal of herself. What did all of this mean? Who was this man to dress so lavishly and these people in blue and silver? Why did they act so roughly towards Caelys and the rest? Surely the Lascarians would not treat the Kyrrians so?

"Remove that hood," the blonde man barked, and the guard who held Caelys quickly obeyed, pulling off the hood that covered her face before Caelys had the time to register that the man had been referring to her. She felt strangely exposed as the cloth fell from her head, exposing her face and her dark, rich brown curls.

She raised her face proudly towards the _Highness_, refusing to show him the fear that wracked her body. His icy blues pierced her own brown eyes, and held her gaze. Caelys was confused by the recognition that she beheld in his.

She was further bewildered when he breathed in amazement, "_Lady Mya?_"

* * *

A/N: Hm…who's this sexy, blonde royalty? And who's Lady Mya? Dun dun dun…

(Grins proudly) I updated a lot faster! I was happy to receive reviews and know that people are still reading this story—thank you! You guys mean so much.

Thanks to **wayretro **(haha I love that name), **Kat **(I'll be updating AM soon! Just some more kinks I have to figure out), **sealednectar **(Caelys is pronounced "Ky-lis" and Cael, Vance's nickname for her, is pronounced "Ky-el." Thank you for reading my story also!), **alphamelodygirl **(thank you!), **slickchick650** (hey! I haven't talked to you in a long time!), **Moosie** (I agree, Rion's definitely not the happy-go-lucky prince. He just might go through some change as the story develops—you'll have to keep reading!), **watrfairie **(I agree—who needs school?), **dark silhouette** (thank you!), **littlelambug** (haha, I agree, snobbishness needs stopping—I'll see what I can do to get Caelys to make Arion learn), **Belle Quest** (awww, you're so sweet! I know what you mean about keeping in touch with people. I still keep in touch with Annie—I actually went to visit her last summer!), **Eclectus** (Yep! I have the main plot planned out. Of course, I'm leaving room just in case I come up with some crazy twists :) ), and **flammingirl** (haha thank you!).


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